In my opinion, becoming a sotapanna doesn`t necessarily reduces sexual desire. A sotapanna still have sexual desire but he/she will not go to extremes such as raping someone, cheating his/her partner, abusing children and so on. This kind of person is unable to do anything that leads to rebirth in t...

Well, if you want to drink, have hallucinations and enjoy sensual pleasures, go ahead and tell us how you intend to reach at least Anagami stage... If all you want is just to live a better and peaceful life, that`s fine, but if what you want is to reach Nibbana, then you must follow the 5th precept ...

Thank you so much for your kind reply Bhante :) Just a side question: I find it very difficult to control my sexual desire as a layman. I do not have any partner so it is like an agreed occasional sex with someone in need as well. I feel quite guilty and stressed about this as I have faith to go fo...

Thank you Jetavan, then I think I will use Bud-dha, unless someone can give me a good reason not to. You can use whatever word you prefer, if it calms the mind, then it`s ok. Buddho is not a magical word, it`s just a trick that we use to prevent the mind from thinking about this or that. :thumbsup:

Well, I consider myself as a solitary buddhist, not because I want, but because I live in a city located in the confines of the Amazon RainForest in Brazil. People from this region are mostly Christian and many of them never heard a thing about Buddhism. So, there`s nothing!!! No temple, no monks, n...

Samsara is just like this. It cannot provide true happiness nor certainty of any kind. Kamma is just an intentional action that when conditions arise, the result takes place. It`s not about justice or injustice, only action and reaction. Jhana doesn`t necessarily saves you from the lower realms, onl...

Hello to all, My father suffered a cardiac arrest that he did not survive from a couple years ago. When at the hospital the doctors performed CPR for an hour or so with his heartbeat coming back once in a while. Later, the main doctor would tell me that they have tried everything to resuscitate him...

there is a monastery in brazil...? Not really. In Brazil there are some places where Theravada followers gather, but there isn t any monastery, like those that have bikkhu ordination and so on. In Rio de Janeiro we have the Sociedade Budista do Brasil, that is for some time hosting a brazilian bikk...

Interesting, but is bad view alone enough, and to what extent? i.e. Is it possible to hold a wrong view about some things, but not about others? I suspect that only when this bad view leads to bad actions, only then a rebirth in the lower realms is likely. In Buddhism, right view is the first step ...

No matter how good a person is, he/she still has bad kamma from previous lives. This kamma can arise anytine when conditions are suitable. Unless one attain at least the stage of sotapanna, this person will wall be subject of rebirth in all the six realms. An important point to know is that living a...

Hey there! I’ve got some questions regarding recent experiences in my meditation practice, preferably from someone more experienced than I am. I’ve been meditating on and off for some years now, never having enough motivation to build a really solid practice. For some reason this changed and the la...

I'd just like to share my experience... Over the years, I've experimented with using "buddho", "in" and "out", and counting the breaths from "1... 10" as mental repetitions. What I found is that mentally repeating "buddho" doesn't feel nearly as smooth and comfortable, if you will, as counting "1.....

Luang Pó arrived in Thailand in July 1977 but this would not be his last visit to the West. In 1979 he made a second trip to England, this time to visit the newly established monastery of Cittaviveka and his abbot, Ajahn Sumedho. After spending some time in England, he traveled to the United States...

Since some weeks ago, while I am meditating focusing in my breathing something interesting happens. When I get a little concentrated, I start to smile and feel a great calm all over the body, sometimes a little ecstasy. I take notice of these sensations and keep focusing the in and out breath, but ...